Endangered NJ Species

Sometimes the most majestic and beautiful of creatures are also the most threatened. Here are just some of the numerous animals in New Jersey that are in danger of extinction, along with their profiles. Learning about these animals is often the first step to cherishing and protecting them.

THE BALD EAGLE

Wing span: 6-7 feet

Larger than most other birds

Food: Fish during warm months; Waterfowl, muskrat, and carrion during winter and early spring

Live in New Jersey all year round

Build their nests above the forest canopy

In 1970, there was only one pair of nesting Bald Eagles left.

NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program artificially incubated a young bird and sent it back to the nest to grow

For six years, the Eagles failed to produce young

Decline was due to the use of DDT, which was banned in 1972 - DDT caused the eggshell to thin

Biologists in NJ initiated restoration efforts which helped to increase the population

2012: 119 active pairs of Bald Eagles

Still endangered because their mortality rates are high (80%) and do not reproduce until four or five years